Ralph Friedgen coached not to lose – and lost

On Saturday, the Maryland Terps had a 20-18 lead on the Miami Hurricanes with 5:22 left in the game. They had the ball on their own 10 yard line, and Miami had no timeouts left.

Davin Meggett ran the ball three straight times, for a total of eight yards, which forced a Maryland punt.

I can totally understand running the ball there against an inferior team with inferior talent, believing that either you get the first down and virtually run out the clock, or realizing that the defense has a good chance to stop the opposition should they fail to get the first down.

However, to run three times against a talented Miami defense in that situation is a classic case of Ralph Friedgen coaching not to lose.

The Terps have come so far from the 2009 season. Going into Saturday’s game, Maryland had already won four games more than last season. Ralph Friedgen has went from the hot seat to potentially being in line for an extension.

Saturday was a chance for the Terps to define their season. Beat Miami, take care of business at Virginia, and the Terps come home to Byrd Stadium for the final two games, controlling their destiny to the Orange Bowl.

Ralph’s comments after the game come from a guy who is playing not to lose the game.

“They were out of timeouts and I felt like if I could get it under three minutes, we’d probably win the football game,” Friedgen said. “The other thing I didn’t want to do is turn it over down there and, with them having no timeouts, if we throw an incompletion, I’m helping them. In a perfect world, I would have loved two first downs, took a knee and went home.”

Of course he would have liked to run the clock out. Who wouldn’t? Unfortunately for the Terps, it’s not that easy.

Remember, Miami was only down two points. They didn’t have to drive down for a TD to win the game upon getting the ball back. They didn’t need a touchdown…only a field goal. I can’t imagine anyone was extremely confident that the Terps would prevent Miami from driving into field goal range if Maryland did not get that first down.

If Ralph Friedgen wanted his team to come out of Miami with this win, getting that first down late in the 4th quarter had to be a priority, not a luxury.

Once that was established, there is no excuse for not letting Danny O’Brien throw the ball to try to move the chains.

Ralph Friedgen and head coach in waiting James Franklin have been coaching this team for how long now? And they are not yet confident enough in their team to attempt a pass play without being scared that they will turn the ball over?

Maybe new AD Kevin Anderson should think twice about the future of the football program when Ralph request his extension after 2010. Saturday’s game was an indictment on both the coaching decisions and the collective mindest of Ralph Friedgen and his staff.

On Saturday, the Terps had a golden opportunity against a team without their starting QB and RB to further put 2009 behind them and to continue their run at an ACC Championship.

Ralph didn’t coach to win. He coached not to lose: And the Terps lost.

Funny how it always works out that way.

 

Thoughts on MD to Big 10 Rumors

There are increasing rumors that Maryland may be heading to an expanded Big 10. In fact, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that something could happen here within the next few hours.

I will not pretend to be as in-tune with this situation as others, but I have been reading the rumors, and the potential scenarios, and I’m aware that things are progressing.

In fact, according to the Bleacher Report, an Indianapolis (Big 10 headquarters) radio station reportedly was announcing the move as a done deal.

I’m not sure that is entirely accurate, but there is a lot of smoke here. Normally, where there is this much smoke, there’s fire.

Currently, there are 11 teams in the Big 10. There has been talk of them expanding to either 14 or 16.

Nebraska is likely to go, and that will be the first domino.

Other candidates to move to the Big 10 are ND, Rutgers, Texas, Texas A&M, Maryland, and Syracuse, among a few others.

Now, most Maryland fans, including myself, are going to have a hard time getting past the ACC tradition.

I understand that, and I feel the same way. The ACC had deep roots and tradition.

There are 2 main reasons for Maryland to consider making this move.

1) Money. The Big 10 as a conference brings in much more revenue than the ACC, thanks in large part to the Big 10 TV deals with ESPN, as well as the Big Network.

2) Other teams potentially leaving the ACC. With the talk of college sports turning into 4 super-conferences, there is the possibility that the ACC could get raided by the Pac 10, Big 10, and SEC. The ACC would then be made up of a few of their current teams, plus some left overs from other conferences, such as South Florida or UCF.

I can see the argument that if 2) was not a factor, that Maryland should ignore the money and keep the tradition.

But with the increased cash flow that the university would get from a move to the Big 10, along with the possibility that the ACC as we know it will not be there in a few years, it is going to be hard for Maryland to turn down a potential offer to move to the Big 10.

As a fan, and fans think as fans first, not about the economic circumstances, I can see the apprehension.

I have it myself.

I think of longer road-trips into the “boring” part of the country.

I think of going into Penn State, the Horseshoe, and the Big House, and getting clobbered in football.

I have visions of playing 52-50 basketball games every night.

I can not imagine playing a basketball schedule without games against UNC, Virginia, and Duke.

Having said that, new rivalries will be formed. Gary vs Izzo (if he does not bolt for the NBA) Maryland vs Penn State every year.

More money means better stadiums and better facilities. More money means the ability to pay assistant coaches more money. That will lead to better recruiting.

There is so much that goes into these talks.

The bottom line is that the landscape of college sports could be changing here within the next few years. Maryland has to be proactive, and they have to look out for the good of the university.

We are getting to the point where if Maryland is going to do just that, they are going to have to accept an offer to join the Big 10, if it is in fact offered to them.

Quick note on MD football/athletics economic situation

Following the 2009 Terps’ football season, I was critical of Debbie Yow’s decision to bring back head coach Ralph Friedgen.

http://charmcitysportstalk.com/2009/12/01/friedgen-to-return-for-10th-season-thoughts/

I was in favor of bringing in a guy like Phil Fulmer, Brian Billick, or Tommy Tuberville in to replace Friedgen.

Many people argued that the university did not have the monetary resources that would allow them pay 3 coaches (Friedgen, Franklin, and the new coach)

My argument was that the money that MD would lose by paying Friedgen and Franklin, would be gained down the road. I argued that a new coach, particularly one with the name brand that those 3 coaches possess, would bring excitement, and ultimately, a winner.

That excitement and winning would ultimately lead to increased ticket sales, national TV games, new Byrd Stadium suite sales, merchandise sales, etc. I argued that because of this, the money that the athletic department would lose in the present would be more than made up in the future.

For those interested, here is a brief explanation I received in an e-mail from AD Debbie Yow, regarding my hypothetical situation of paying 3 coaches, and taking a short-term loss in order to secure a potential long-term gain.

I can tell you that each collegiate athletics program operates within the structure of its respective University. In our case, there is next to no liklihood of approval to borrow money, like a business could with a bank.

All expenditures are expected to be paid with the cash we have earned through multiple revenue streams each year.

We are a quasi-business…operating in higher education, under a mandate to pay our bills.

That’s about all I’m comfortable sharing.

Essentially, Yow is saying that the Maryland athletic department has a certain budget with which to work with, and that it can not really be stretched.

I will say that it is unfortunate that such big money makers as mens basketball and football are for schools, are not given more leeway and do not have more financial options at their disposal.

However, after hearing this explained a bit further, I can understand why it was not in the cards for the university to make a coaching change and go out and hire that big-name coach.

I will also say that given the circumstances and the economy at the time, that it may have been a bit irresponsible and short-sighed for Yow to name James Franklin the head coach in waiting, while guaranteeing him $1 million if he is not named head coach by February of 2012.

It is unfortunate that money plays such a large factor with collegiate sports, even at a major, thriving D1 university such as Maryland. But the bottom line is it does, and expectations should be placed with the economic factors in mind.

Looking back, it appears that some of my expectations were unrealistic, as far as hiring a big name guy, and paying 3 coaches at the same time.

I still believe it would have been the best move for the program going forward if it could have happened, but the implication from Debbie Yow in her brief explanation, is that it couldn’t have.

For now, Terps’ fans will have to “settle” for Ralph Friedgen. Certainly, we could do a lot worse than having Fridge at the helm.

Hopefully, Ralph Friedgen can get the Terps’ back on track, and back to the level that he led them to in his first 3 seasons in College Park. If he cannot, hopefully the economic picture improves enough to give the university the option to go out and look for a new coach, while not being forced to simply promote James Franklin because of monetary issues.

Friedgen to return for 10th season, Thoughts

It was announced today that Ralph Friedgen will return for his 10th season as head football coach.

Previously ( https://charmcitysportstalk.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/analyzing-friedgen-situation-potential-candidates/) I stated that this decision will tell a lot about the athletic department. I argued that if Friedgen is brought back, it will be a sign that they are not serious about raising the program back to its level early this decade when they reached the Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Gator Bowl in 3 consecutive years. Bringing Friedgen back is a sign that the athletic department is accepting of a mediocre football program, and this quote today by Athletic Director Debbie Yow tells Maryland fans all they need to know.

Coach Friedgen and I are in complete agreement on the expectation to return the football program to its competitive stature. He has assured the university and fans of his intentions to do whatever is necessary to become a top 25 program again. … He continues to have my full support.

Being “competitive” is acceptable for mediocre teams that are happy to make an appearance in the top 25 for a few weeks every couple years. If that is all that Yow strives for, then I can see why she is bringing Friedgen back. I find it ironic that Yow cannot get along with Gary Williams, and holds him to such high standards, yet she has no problem bringing Ralph back after a 2-10 season and after repeated seasons of mediocre, lackluster play. Perhaps Yow is the real problem here.

To be fair to Ralph, he is optimistic for the upcoming year.

“Keep the faith. We have a lot of guys coming back next year and I believe in this team very much. I think the future’s pretty bright. We have three impressive young quarterbacks that are pretty good. We have all our running backs returning, as well as our wide receivers. All of our offensive linemen are back, except one, with a full year of experience under their belts. We had a very young team this season. We took our lumps this year, but we won’t be taking our lumps next year.”

I’m glad Friedgen sees signs for optimism, and perhaps Maryland can win 6-7 wins next season. But is that good enough? For Debbie Yow, it appears to be. She doesn’t mind going to the Emerald Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl every other year. Maryland fans, however, expect better. 

For the near future, it does not appear that Maryland will be very relevant nationally. What if Ralph does win 6-7 games during each of his next 2 years? Does James Franklin still take over in 2 years? What exactly is Friedgen building for?

The program is in a state of flux right now, and while the team certainly may rebound and have a solid season next year, the program will likely continue to be mediocre and average.

Maryland had a chance to wipe the slate clean and to come out with a new name coach with higher expectations in an attempt to rise the program up from the ashes of mediocrity. By bringing Ralph Friedgen back, they failed at this chance, and they have proven to everyone that they accept mediocrity so much that they will not pay 5 million dollars to inject new life into their program. This 5 million is a sunk cost. Riding it out is only going to make things worse.

Ralph is a solid coach but it is time for a change. As soon as James Franklin was named coach in waiting, things started to go downhill. Things are just too messy and complicated in College Park for this program to gain back their national relevance.

Ironically, the one move that Yow make that emulated a major, successful college program was naming a head coach in waiting. Unfortunately, Yow did not realize that James Franklin was not Jimbo Fisher or Will Muschamp. He is not on that level and it is highly unlikely that he will ever be. It was completely unnecessary to base decisions regarding the future of the program around James Franklin, yet that is what Maryland fans are witnessing.

For Terps fans, be ready for more close games against Middle Tennessee and James Madison. Be ready for a night game blowout against Virginia Tech. Prepare yourselves for the empty suites that will be sitting half-empty at an expanding Byrd Stadium. And oh yeah, save some money up for an ESPNU subscription, as by my count, only 2 out of 12 games were televised locally this season.

With all the talk about the current economic crisis, keeping Friedgen and Franklin on board is a very poor business decision, made by a woman in Debbie Yow who perhaps is neither qualified to make business nor sports decisions. The sooner she realizes her mistakes, and makes it a point to fix them, as opposed to riding them out, the sooner Maryland will be a legitimate program in the college football world.

Analyzing Friedgen situation, Potential Candidates

Fans of Maryland football are well aware of the situation involving Head Coach Ralph Friedgen, Offensive Coordinator James Franklin, the athletic department, and the state of Maryland.

Prior to this season, Athletic Director Debbie Yow, along with Friedgen, named James Franklin the coach in waiting, guaranteeing Franklin 1 million dollars if he was not named head coach within a 3 year time period.

It was apparent to me at the time that this was an ill-advised move, and it is obvious to the majority of Terps fans now. James Franklin was not someone who we needed to make this type of guarantee to in order to keep him around. He certainly is not some great coach, or an irreplaceable offensive coordinator, on the staff an offensive-minded head coach.

This season, the Terps are 2-9 and will likely finish 2-10.  This will be the 3rd season in the last 6 that the Terps will fail to make a bowl game, and these mediocre years have been defined by slow starts, poor play against top teams, and lethargic play in games against inferior opponents such as James Madison and Middle Tennessee State.

I give Ralph Friedgen credit for taking Maryland football to a new height in his first 3 years that Maryland had not previously seen. In those 3 years, Maryland lost in the BCS Orange Bowl, and won in the Peach Bowl and Gator Bowl. However, since then, with Friedgen’s recruits, Maryland has failed to reach that level again, and has failed to display the offensive complexity that was a staple of Friedgen’s first 3 years here.

Whether it is due to poor talent or poor coaching is up for debate. Whatever the reason, it comes back to Friedgen’s shoulders.

Friedgen’s hiring was certainly a positive for this program. It can be argued that the success of Friedgen in his early years raised expectations that now may push Friedgen out of College Park. However, to ensure that the program does not fall any further, it seems that it is time for the university and Friedgen to part ways.

Unfortunately, the university is feeling the effects of the economic depression just like the rest of the country, and there is debate as to whether they can afford to pay Friedgen his 4 million dollar buyout, plus the 1 million to Franklin.

There are 3 options here: Keep Friedgen, promote Franklin, or fire both of them.

In my opinion, promoting Franklin would be a terrible move. He has shown nothing on offense to indicate that he would be succesful as head coach, and he would likely want to keep some of the assistants that he has been working with under Friedgen. It would be rewarding terrible performance, which makes no sense. The only reason Franklin would be named head coach is because of his buyout, and that compromises winning and the future of the program due to a poor decision by Debbie Yow to name Franklin the successor to Friedgen.

Recently, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley had this to say about the potential buyout of Friedgen’s contract.

I leave it to the university to manage its sports and most everything else. The thing I’m most focused on is making sure that we make the investments necessary to keep a high level of excellence and make college more affordable.

Clearly, Martin O’Malley must have some business sense, but he does not show that with this quote. He speaks to making the university more affordable, yet fails to realize the impact that a successful football program would have on the university. A winning football tradition brings in an enormous amount of money from ticket sales, public events, nationally televised games, etc. Not to mention that athletes and non-athletes alike are attracted to a university that has successful sports teams.

The 5 million that it would cost to pay Friedgen and Franklin, plus the money it would have to pay a new coach, would be made back over and over again if Maryland football can get back to the level that it achieved early this decade. This fact really cannot be argued. If Maryland is serious about having a top football program, and from what I gather from fans of the team, the fans certainly are, then they need to make this change. If they aren’t, and if they are going to function as a poor, second or third tier sports university, which they would be if they do not make this change due to economic reasons, then that is a very discouraging sign for all fans of Maryland athletics.

The focus shifts to potential candidates. Normally, candidates are divided into 2 categories. Up and coming head coaches or assistants, and past, successful head coaches.

I feel that Maryland needs a head coach that has been successful in the past, so I am leaving off my list names such as Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern, and Brent Venables of Oklahoma.

There are 3 candidates that I would go after if I were Debbie Yow. These candidates are Phillip Fulmer, Tommy Tuberville, and Brian Billick.

Phil Fulmer had a very successful stint at Tennessee, and his ouster was a result of a very impatient fan base, athletic department, and boosters. He has said it would take the right situation for him to return to coaching, but has certainly expressed desire to do so, and previously had hinted that he may have had interest in the Clemson job last offseason.

Certainly, Maryland is not Tennessee, therefore, they would not have the lofty expectations year in and year out that Fulmer had in Knoxville. 3-4 losses for Maryland would be a very solid season for Maryland football, when in Tennessee it would have been a disappointment.

Tuberville was highly successful at Auburn, and like Fulmer, was fired rather quickly after a few sub par seasons, due to expectations that Tuberville himself raised, similar to Fulmer’s situation. Tuberville has expressed interest in coaching again and has been linked to the Louisville and Cincinnati jobs if openings arise in those places.

These 2 coaches have been at the top of the best conference in the country. They would be looked highly upon at Maryland, yet at the same time would not face the enormous expectations and rigors that they did during their stints coaching at Tennessee and Auburn.

The final name on the list is likely the most intriguing one for local fans, and that name is Brian Billick.

Brian Billick, as we all know, took the Ravens to new heights, and like the other 2 candidates, was fired by an impatient owner who wanted to go in a different direction. Billick has indicated that he will continue to stay in the area and will make his home in the Eastern Shore area.

The coaching position at Maryland would allow Billick to stay at home, and would not be as stressful as coaching in the NFL. Billick is a master salesman and motivator, and I have no doubt that he would be extremely successful at recruiting. What recruit would not want to play for a former Super Bowl winning coach in the NFL, specifically players that believe they have a future in the NFL and that want a coach to help them make the transition as successful and fruitful as possible?

Furthermore, Billick is still owed another year on his Ravens contract, and any money that he would make at Maryland next season would not influence that at all. On the contrast, if he were to get a job in the NFL, the only new money that he would make would be anything above the 5 million that he is owed by the Ravens.

Owner Steve Bisciotti is a Maryland fan as well, and while he did fire Billick, he has acknowledged that Brian is an excellent head coach, and one would have to believe that Bisciotti would be on board with Billick to Maryland.

At the very least, Debbie Yow’s first phone call should be to Billick to gauge his interest and to sell him on the job.

For the Maryland athletic department, this is a crossroads. Are they content just to be an average sports school with a good basketball team, or are they committed to being a top athletic school in all of the major sports? Football and basketball are by far the 2 most popular collegiate sports, and having very good to elite teams in both presents a huge advantage for a university in all aspects.

This will be an interesting week, as if Debbie Yow and the rest of the athletic department are serious about restoring the program, Saturday will mark the last day as coaches on the Maryland sideline for Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin.

If they are not, then expect more of the same mediocrity next season, whether the coach is Friedgen or Franklin. To have to look forward to another season of the same would be a sad state for all Maryland fans to endure, not so much because of the upcoming season, but because of what it represents about the people who are leading this university’s athletic department.